


King of Peace

by timelordvictorious1



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Emotional Constipation, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Insomnia, Near Death, No Sex, Parent-Child Relationship, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-08-06 19:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16393985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelordvictorious1/pseuds/timelordvictorious1
Summary: Set fifty years after BoTFA. After Thranduil is injured and near death, Legolas is called back to Mirkwood. When he returns home, he realizes a lot has changed.The title was inspired by Florence + The Machine's "Queen of Peace"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever work. Constructive criticism or feedback are appreciated and welcome

The moon shone beautifully in the clear, cloudless sky. Surrounded by thousands of twinkling stars, it was a sight to be seen. All light was precious to the Eldar. The Wood Elves had always favored the light of the stars. Although his father’s kin were Sindar, his mother’s kin were Silvan. Having been born and raised amongst the Silvans, he always considered himself one. Legolas was delighted to be amongst the trees, where he belonged. He loved listening to the songs of the trees. The clearing Legolas chose to sleep in was perfect for viewing the beauteous night sky.

It was almost impossible to not be at peace under such a wondrously gorgeous sky. Yet, Legolas was uneasy. Elves usually needed little sleep, but he had been increasingly tired for the past week. He desperately wanted and needed sleep. “Tonight, I’ll be able to sleep” he thought to himself.  
After a few minutes the familiar sounds of the forest night coupled with the singing trees began to lull him to sleep. “Finally” he couldn’t help but think. But as he was wont to do, he found himself jolted awake only moments after drifting off. Foul images and an overwhelming sense of grief and sickness overpowered him whenever he came close to sleeping. Every night for the past weeks those images had been plaguing his sleep, making it impossible to sleep for more than a couple of minutes. He always immediately forgot what he dreamt, but for some reason these nightmarish dreams reminded him of Thranduil, his father. It had been over fifty years since he left home after the Battle of The Five Armies, and he hadn’t laid eyes on his father, or anyone from the Greenwood since. He had not parted on good terms, with his father or Tauriel.

This time, it was not just his horrible dreams that woke him. It was the sound of hooves on the forest floor. Far away but fast approaching. Placing his ear on the ground, he listened for the riders. They were riding hard. At least a dozen. Probably more. Getting closer and closer. Headed toward him at an alarming speed. So many riders at such a late time could only be bad news.  
“Not wargs. Definitely horses. At least they’re not orcs. Maybe they’re bandits” he mused.  
Several millennia of warrior training and instincts instantly propelled him into action. The fire he built was dwindling, but would call attention to his position.  
Quickly he threw whatever water he had remaining on it, immediately extinguishing it. There was nothing to be done about his horse, sleeping on the ground, even more exhausted than Legolas was. He quickly scaled a tree several feet away and readied himself. Bow in hand and an arrow ready to let loose, should the need arise.

The wait was endless, or at least it seemed that way. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes that he waited in the tree, but his extreme fatigue made it seem like hours. Even during this fraught situation, his ever encroaching tiredness was threatening to get the better of him.

His horse had already been awakened by the incoming riders. Whinnying and flailing around, there was nothing Legolas could do about him. Calming him would give away his position, so he did nothing.  
The noisome steed attracted their attention and they were now riding directly in Legolas’ direction.

Finally, the riders were within eyeshot.  
“Definitely not bandits” thought Legolas.  
Legolas could tell they were definitely highly trained by the way they rode together in tight formation. They were almost certainly soldiers.  
As they entered the clearing the identity of the mystery riders became clear. The green tunics and brown leather breastplates and greaves were all too familiar to Legolas. These riders were soldiers of the Woodland Realm, his father’s soldiers. They came to a halt in the middle of the clearing. Legolas recognized the leader, it was Feren, his father’s most trusted general.  
It immediately became apparent that his father had sent them on his trail.  
He asked himself, “Why else would they happen upon my exact location?”

After a couple of seconds, Feren dismounted his horse and tried to calm Legolas’ horse, who was still thrashing about wildly. Feren had always been good with horses, and calmed him down within seconds. While Feren calmed the horse, the other soldiers dismounted their horses, they had been riding for a week, only stopping to let their horses rest.

Legolas decided that that was as good a time as any to scale down the tree. Hiding from them would be pointless. Noiselessly, he climbed down and walked towards them. The highly trained elves instantly sensed him and turned to face him. They instinctively bowed to him until Legolas put them at ease. It had been several decades since anyone had bowed to him with such deference.  
With no patience for small talk, Legolas began. “Why have you come here” he demanded harshly.  
Feren was a little taken aback. Prince Legolas had never talked to him, or anyone for that matter, so coldly and harshly.  
He quickly recovered himself and tentatively answered, “We need you to come back home with us, My Lord.”  
“I do not wish to go back” barked Legolas.  
Again, Feren was agog. He was used to hearing this tone of voice from King Thranduil, and gave it very little thought anymore, but it was uncharted territory to hear such a cruel and imperious tone coming from Legolas. He had always known Legolas to be a kind and gentle soul, not this irascible person he seemed to become.

“My Lord, it is of the utmost importance that you come with us. King Thranduil is very ill. He may not have long to live” spoke Feren in a hurried tone.  
“If this is some scheme to get me to come back, it will not work.”  
“I assure you it is not, My Lord” he pleaded. “Now please, we must hurry. Time is of the essence.”  
“Fine. I will accompany you.”  
With that, they all remounted their horses, and set off without a moment’s delay.


	2. Chapter 2

Part of him still believed this was a scheme devised by his father in an attempt to cajole him into coming home.  
It won’t work, he thought to himself.

But there was a part of him that grew more and more worried with every gallop his horse took.  
He can’t possibly be ill, we don’t get ill, said the cynical part of his internal monologue.  
What if he was injured?

He hadn’t thought to ask Feren before setting off, but as soon as they stopped to water the horses, he would interrogate the general.  
After midday, the time finally came when they stopped to give the horses a break.  
Feren was filling deerskin canteen with water from the nearby river when Legolas approached him.  
Legolas caught him completely off-guard.

Feren hadn’t had much of a chance to get a good a look at Legolas in the moonlight, but now, in the bright sunlight he got the first real glimpse he’d had of Legolas in over fifty years. He looked tired.

“Are you feeling well, my lord?”

“What happened to my father? Why must I rush back to the Greenwood” he asked impatiently.  
Feren hesitated. He didn’t want to be the one to tell the Prince that his father was very near death.

“My lord, you don’t look well at all. Perhaps you should rest. The rest of us can stay on guard.”

Legolas didn’t know whether to be offended or to take Feren’s advice. After all, Legolas was one of the best warriors in all Middle Earth. But he was so exhausted.  
Legolas scoffed at the suggestion and deflected.

“We should set off. We’ll make camp after nightfall” he said commandingly.

“As you wish, my Prince” answered Feren. He was thankful that he had avoided answering the Prince’s questions.  
The soldiers swiftly remounted their horses and set off without a moment’s delay.  
The company was making great time. It wouldn’t take more than a day to reach the Elvenking’s halls.  
As Legolas rode alongside the soldiers he began to ponder his return to the Greenwood. He didn’t want to admit it, but missed his father, his friends, but most importantly, he missed Tauriel.  
He had loved Tauriel for thousands of years, a love his father disapproved of. Legolas did not care.

Surely Tauriel has overcome her love of the dead dwarf. What will it be like to see her again?  
Fifty years were nothing for an elf, but her absence from his life made it seem like an eternity, but that was all over now

I wonder if she feels the same way?  
Suddenly, he remembered she had been banished from Mirkwood before the Battle of the Five Armies.  
What if she’s not there, waiting for me?  
Returning to life in Mirkwood without Tauriel at his side would be unbearable.  
He needed to ask Feren the second he had a chance.  
Luckily, it was dusk, and soon it would be time to make camp.  
It was decided that they would ride until they reached the edge of Mirkwood; once on the forest path the ride to the palace would be fairly quick.

Legolas was relieved to see the treeline appear in his sights. He would never admit it to the soldiers, but he was more drained than he had ever been in his entire life, and he couldn’t explain why.

Feren was worried. He worried that King Thranduil’s illness had begun to affect Legolas.  
Although Legolas didn’t realize it, he and his father shared a strong bond. Feren knew this and recognized that Legolas might grow weaker, and maybe even begin to fade, if his father died.

As soon as they were within the boundaries of the forest everyone dismounted their horses and began to make camp. One soldier began to build a fire, while others scouted the area to make sure there weren’t any orcs around.  
Feren put six guards on watch. The odds of anything happening were slim, but he didn’t want to take any chances with the heir to the throne, especially when the King was already so dangerously close to death.  
He looked over to Legolas. Legolas looked pale, his eyes were sunken, and his movements were slow and lethargic.

“My lord, you should really take this opportunity to rest. My men will stay on guard all night” said Feren, his voice filled with concern for his Prince.

Legolas pondered Feren’s words and changed the subject, “You’ve avoided telling me the truth for the last time. Why is my father ill? What’s happened?”

There was no way around it, Feren would have to tell him.  
“King Thranduil went on a trip to Dale to discuss trade agreements with King Bain. The trip there was uneventful; we stayed for a week and then made our way back home. On the trip back stumbled upon an orc pack. As soon as we spotted them, they scattered; we tracked them down and killed them one by one. As we chased them we came across a newly formed spider’s nest. There aren’t many spiders left in the wood but the ones that remain are the strongest we’ve ever seen. A large spider cornered Tauriel and knocked her down. It was about to bite her when the King left his guard behind and rushed to save her. He fought off the spiders while protecting her. There were too many, at least twenty. While fighting off one of them, another came from behind and threw him down. It bit him before we could get to him. He finished off the spiders before slumping down to the ground. One of the fleeing orcs saw him as he fell and tried to finish the King off by running him through with his poisoned sword. By the time we arrived and killed the orc it was too late.”

Feren stopped for a moment. He felt a wave of emotion wash over him; he felt personally responsible for failing to protect his King.

Legolas saw Feren struggling to continue the story. He didn’t want to push Feren, but still he needed more answers.

“I thought Tauriel had been banished” Legolas said quietly.

Feren immediately regained his composure and replied “No, My Lord. After the Battle, she tirelessly worked to tend those who were wounded. The King saw this as true devotion to our people. He decided to pardon her. But she didn’t want to go back to being a soldier. She said she was tired of killing, and wanted to save people. So she took up the art of healing, and has become one of our best healers.”

“Really” asked Legolas with a hint of pride.

“The King has always favored her. He encouraged her to do what she felt would suit her best. Since she’s still one of the best warriors we have, she’s also begun teaching elflings how to fight.”

“I’m glad that she’s remade her life” Legolas said hopefully. For the first time since the Battle he hoped that he would finally have a chance to profess his unwavering love for her. And just maybe, the feeling would be mutual.

Feren saw the look on Legolas’ face, and realized that his love of her had not diminished. It was common knowledge in the Mirkwood army, perhaps to everyone except Tauriel. Feren knew Tauriel loved Legolas as a friend, maybe brother, but definitely not romantically.

If only Prince Legolas knew that nothing will ever come of his love for her, Feren thought to himself

After a few moments of silence Legolas spoke again. “Why did Tauriel go to Dale with my father? Surely he didn’t need a healer on this trip.”

“She wanted to see King Bain. As you know they met when he was a young boy. And they’ve remained friends. She heard he had been in bad health, so she went to offer her services. The King prohibited her from going, but you know how she is.”

“What did she do to incur his wrath this time?” He knew that if anyone could get under the his father’s skin, it was Tauriel.

“She didn’t do anything, My Lord. He just did not think it wise for her to travel so close to–” he stopped himself before saying too much. But it was too late. He didn’t want to be the one to break the Prince’s heart.

“Too close to what?”

Feren hesitated for a moment. “Tauriel is with child, My Lord. The elfling is due any day now.”

“What do you mean?” he barked at Feren

“Tauriel is married. She married Elros, the guard. They’ve been married for almost forty years, I think.”

“Is it the same Elros that was keeper of the keys who got drunk and let our prisoners escape during that business with the dwarves?” he asked cynically.

“Yes. That would be him” said Feren awkwardly.

Legolas scoffed. “How could she marry so soon after losing the dwarf?” he asked himself over and over again silently.

Any chance he had of sleeping was now gone. His mind kept swirling with thoughts of Tauriel being married to that incompetent guard. He couldn’t believe it. He refused to believe it.  
He spent the rest of the night lost in a flurry of thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Legolas did not sleep a wink the entire night. He was far too lost in his own thoughts to even notice the sun had come up. The same thoughts kept swirling in his head; he kept replaying his conversation with Feren over, and over, and over, and over, and over again, until he forced himself to think about something else for a minute. But his mind would always go back to the same thing, no matter how hard he tried to purge it from his thoughts. He knew the ride to his father’s palace would not be long; they’d be there before midday. He wasn’t sure he could face it. The idea of going home to his dying father and his married former best friend made him sick to his stomach. Maybe if his father weren’t sick, he’d be able to face Tauriel. Maybe if Tauriel was still unmarried, he’d be able to face his father’s imminent death. But both things at the same time was too much for him.

Finally, he snapped out of it.  
The soldiers had been staring at him for a while, waiting for him to give the command to set off again.

“We must set off at once” he yelled.

In one fluid motion, the soldiers mounted their horses and set off. With every gallop his horse took, he grew more and more apprehensive. Dread. He was awash with sheer, unadulterated dread.

The last time he was in the Greenwood, it looked sick and dark. But this time the trees were awash with green. The sun shone through the trees, illuminating the green expanse of the forest. It looked like the Greenwood of old. How he missed this marvelous forest. But there was a stillness, a quietness to it that unsettled him. Ever since childhood he had always been able to hear the singing of the trees, but today they were silent. He couldn’t hear them. He focused his mind and listened.  
Nothing.  
No birds, foxes, deer, rabbits, nothing. Even the river was unusually still.  
Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen any animals either.  
If he hadn’t been so distracted the night before, he would have realized it sooner.  
The closer and closer they got to the palace the more deafening the quietness grew. The only sounds to be heard were the sounds of the horses galloping. Something was definitely wrong in this forest.  
Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye.  
He motioned for the company to stop.

It was a beautiful elk, much like the one his father rode in battle. It was the first animal he had seen since before they entered the forest. It was lying on the ground and looked like it was close to dying. At first, Legolas thought that maybe it had been wounded by a hunter. He searched it for injuries, but there were none visible.

“I wonder what’s wrong with it?” he asked.

There was silence until Feren spoke up.

“It’s your father, My Lord. He uses his magic to keep the forest alive and the beautiful creatures that inhabit it safe. Without his power, everything starts to fade. The elk are always the most affected. I also believe that is what is affecting you, My Lord. That is why you look ill. I’m afraid that’s how it will be until he recovers or…” Feren trailed off. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to the Greenwood and to Legolas if King Thranduil died. 

Legolas couldn’t believe it. He always knew his father used his power to keep the forest safe, but he never knew to what extent, and his father certainly never talked about it.  
They couldn’t leave the poor creature out there on its own, or it’d be dead soon for sure. 

He decided that they’d take it back with them to the palace, to be cared for by the stablehands. Legolas ordered the soldiers to help it to its feet.   
The poor thing could barely walk. The slow-moving creature slowed their progress, but they were very close. They’d still arrive well before sundown.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

At last, the palace was within sight. It was just as beautiful as Legolas remembered. He missed his home more than he realized and tears started welling in his eyes.

“Are you glad to be home My Lord” asked Feren.

“I am. Though I do wish it was under better circumstances. But I missed it so much.”

“I am praying to the Valar for his recovery. Everyone is I can assure you.”

Legolas looked back to the other soldiers. They all nodded in agreement with Feren.

“I thank you all for your prayers. I hope they do not go unanswered.”

There were a few minutes of pensive silence. Legolas could tell that Feren was praying to the Valar once more. So were many of the other soldiers. It warmed his heart to see how much they cared for his father.

After a few more minutes they arrived at the palace doors. Legolas dismounted his horse and readied himself. The soldiers guarding the doors instinctively bowed and opened the doors.

After more than fifty years  
He was home.


	4. Chapter 4

Legolas stepped through the doors and gazed in amazement. He couldn’t believe how much he had missed his home. His father’s throne was in the center on the cavernous palace, as formidable and regal as ever.

No sooner than he had set foot in the palace, a barrage of elves came up to him, they all bowed and told him that they were all praying for his father. The stream of well-wishers seemed endless. Feren, who had been standing a few steps behind him, had had enough. He cleared his throat and spoke in a booming voice  
“Hir nin Legolas has come to see his father, our King, and you are all preventing him from doing so. Please save your well-wishes for another time. He has to be with his adar at this time!”

The crowd of elves all understood. They bowed and dispersed, clearing the path for them.

“Thank you for that. I would have been there for hours if you hadn’t intervened.”

“Glad to be of service.”

Legolas knew the path to the healing wing very well. He sprinted there with Feren in tow. He stopped a few feet from the door, composed himself, and prepared for the worst. Slowly, he opened the door, without bothering to knock and stepped inside trepidatiously. As soon as he walked in the smell of medicinal herbs almost overpowered him. There were almost a dozen healers scrambling around the room in a frenzied panic. The healers didn’t even notice them come in, they were too busy tending to his father. They completely surrounded the bed, blocking Legolas’ view. Legolas could see that the healers were replacing his father’s bandages. Each discarded bandage was completely soaked with fresh blood. The sight made him queasy. Whatever doubts he had about his father’s illness were completely dispelled at the sight. He felt out of place; standing still in the middle of the room, not wanting to disturb the healers, but not not wanting to leave either. The healers had become aware of his presence, but did not take the time to greet him; they were too busy trying to stem the bleeding from the King’s wounds. They were able to stop the bleeding after five, long, agonizing, worry-filled minutes.

The panic in the room died down soon after, with all of the healers breathing a sigh of relief. When they felt sure the King wouldn’t bleed anymore, they all turned to face Legolas.

“Leave” he said quietly but firmly.  
Surprised by his sudden command and unwilling to leave their patient and King alone, they stood fast.  
“Everyone is to leave the room right now. Except you Luthiel, you are to stay. The rest of you leave right now” he barked at the healers scrambling to leave.

He noticed Feren standing still.  
“Leave us, Feren.”

“As you wish” replied Feren, slightly shocked. He waited for everyone else to leave before he bowed and silently left the room. 

Legolas walked towards his father’s sickbed in stunned silence. The white bedsheets under his father were soaked through with fresh blood. And on the stand next to the bed were the discarded bandages, also completely soaked.  
That’s too much blood.  
The majority of his torso arms, left thigh, and even the left side of his face were covered in bandages.

Luthiel, the Head Healer of the Greenwood, stood still above her patient. She had known Legolas since he was a newborn elfling and treated every scrape, cut, broken bone, and any other malady he had ever suffered from since then. She eyed Legolas warily. He didn’t seem like the sweet elfling she had known, he seemed annoyed, and irascible, much like his father when he was in a bad mood. After several seconds of awkward silence she broke the ice.

“Good afternoon my Prince. We didn’t expect you so soon.”  
Legolas was in no mood for small talk, so he cut to the chase, “How is he?”

Luthiel hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “Not well. He’s been having convulsions on and off since he was brought in. The convulsions have caused him to rip his stitches out several times, and they’ve been getting worse in the past two days. I fear that if the poison or venom don’t kill him, the blood loss will.”

“Isn’t there an antidote?”

The healers of the Greenwood were renowned throughout all Middle Earth for their ability to heal any who had been poisoned or envenomed, but even their formidable talents had their limits.

“We’ve tried everything at our disposal. Nothing has worked.”

“Show me” he commanded as he pointed to the fresh bandages. Luthien hesitated but slowly and carefully began to remove the bandages from the wounds. He didn’t know what was more horrifying, the immense blood loss he had just witnessed, or the freshly stitched gashes all over his body. The one on his abdomen seemed the worst.

“What are his chances of survival?”

Before Luthiel had a chance to answer, she was distracted by a sudden movement. Thranduil’s body had stiffened and become rigid.

“My lord, I need you to leave immediately and summon the other healers at once. He is about to have another convulsion and I need them all here. If the convulsions cause him to rip his stitches out his wounds will open again, I won’t be able to manage it by myself.”

Legolas ran out, the healers were all standing in the hallway. They immediately realized what was happening and ran inside without so much as a word to their prince. The last one inside closed the door behind him. Before the door closed Legolas was able to catch a glimpse of his father, convulsing once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while since I’ve updated this. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave comments.

Legolas stood outside the door, pacing back and forth. He wasn’t sure what to do, he didn’t want to be in the way of the healers, but he didn’t want to go back to his room. After several more minutes of pacing, he decided that going to his room would be the best option. He made his way to his room quickly, thankful that he managed to avoid seeing anyone. He really wasn’t in the mood for socializing.  
As he entered his room, he was surprised to see the fire had already been lit and one of his more ornate outfits lying on the bed. He assumed Galion, his father’s butler, had laid it out for him. In that moment Galion walked in, carrying a bowl of Legolas’ favorite fruits.  
Galion was startled to see Legolas. He would have knocked if he had known Legolas was already in his room.  
“I apologize, My Lord. Feren told me you were going to visit your father before settling in. I expected you to be with him. I had no idea you would be in here.” 

“It’s fine, Galion” said Legolas impatiently as he motioned him to come further into the room. “The healers were tending to him and I was very much in the way.”

“How is he?”

“Have you not been to see him” Legolas snapped.

“Not today. I’ve been busy preparing your rooms, making sure your clothes are freshly laundered, and ensuring that cooks prepare your favorite meal for dinner.”

Legolas immediately felt guilty for snapping at him only seconds ago. Galion had been his father’s most loyal servant and trusted friend for longer than he’d been alive. As Galion went to set the bowl he was carrying on a nearby table, Legolas exhaustedly threw himself into his bed, ignoring the clothes Galion had carefully laid out for him. Galion quickly scowled at Legolas’ wanton disregard for the carefully laid out outfit.

“Would you like me to draw you a bath, sir?”

“Yes. I’d like that very much.”

Galion walked into the bathing chamber and began to draw Legolas a warm bath. Meanwhile, Legolas laid in bed with his eyes closed. The events of the last two days had been so surreal that part of him wondered if it wasn’t all just a dream that he would wake from any second now. Reality came crashing down when he snapped out of his pensiveness. He was most definitely home and everything that happened in the last two days was very real.

Galion walked back into the room and went straight to one of Legolas’ drawers, from which he pulled out two circlets.  
“Which circlet would you like me to lay out? I think the silver one will go marvelously with the clothes I have laid out.”

Legolas sat up with lightning quick speed and stared at Galion. Now he understood what Galion was getting at. Galion wanted him to have dinner in the dining halls to be put on display and be poked and prodded by the curious citizens of Mirkwood. Legolas shook his head angrily.  
“Your father’s advisers are all in agreement. It will be good for your subjects to see they have a strong leader ready to take up your father’s mantle, should the worst come to pass” stated Galion plainly.

Legolas could see the logic behind the advisers’ decision, but he desperately wanted to be alone.  
“They’re not my subjects, they’re my father’s. And I don’t want to have dinner with anyone tonight. I’m not even that hungry. All I want to do is take a warm bath and retire for the night. I’m exhausted, and I haven’t the energy to socialize with anyone this evening” he said sternly.

Unsatisfied with Legolas’ answer, Galion stood still and held his gaze. Legolas shifted in his seat angrily and uncomfortably. Galion was the only person, aside from his father, who could stare him down like that. 

“Do you really think your father would approve of this? I think not.”

“My father is the least sociable person I have ever known. I think he would do the exact same thing if he were in my place.”

“How little you know your father, Legolas. He would do and has done anything for the benefit of his kingdom. Including sitting through uncomfortable dinners, meetings, conversations, and anything else you can possibly think of. He’s never enjoyed any of it, but he would never shirk his responsibilities. And neither should you, if you want to be a good ruler.

Legolas had no response, so he just scoffed at Galion.

“Come on, a warm bath will leave you feeling like new” Galion reassured him. “But careful not to tarry. I spoke to the cooks only minutes ago and they assured me dinner would be ready in half an hour.”

Legolas knew that any resistance would be futile. He petulantly stood up and made his way to his bathing chamber. The water looked so inviting; he would have loved nothing more than to unwind in the bath for the rest evening, but he knew Galion would be waiting for him to make sure he was on time for dinner. He quickly undressed and dipped himself into the warm water. It instantly began to soothe his travel-weary muscles. This was the first warm bath Legolas had had in years and he wanted to relish it as much as possible. After a few minutes, Legolas was feeling too relaxed to care if he was late to dinner. As if sensing his relaxed state, Galion entered the room to remind him.  
“Remember, dinner will be ready soon. It’s terrible manners to keep people waiting, especially at dinner.”

“I’ll be out in fifteen minutes. That should leave us plenty of time for me to get ready.”

“Very well, my Lord. I’ll finish getting your room ready in the meantime.”

Galion walked back into the room exactly fifteen minutes later, carrying Legolas’ outfit. To his complete surprise, Legolas had already dried himself off and was waiting patiently for Galion to come in with his clothes.

“What took you so long” smirked Legolas.

Ignoring the remark, Galion walked up to Legolas and began to help him dress.  
Legolas had always hated the gaudy outfits his father seemed to favor so much. They were too over-the-top, too garish for him.

“I don’t understand why you want to dress me up in these clothes. I hate wearing them.”

“Because it’s what kings and princes wear. And it’s high time you started acting and dressing according to your rank.”

“He’s such a snob” thought Legolas. 

After twenty minutes of primping and preening, Galion finally deemed him presentable.

“We must go right away, my Lord. We’re running late.”

Legolas and Galion rushed through the winding hallways of the palace until they reached the double doors of the dining hall, pausing before entering. The footmen standing at the doors instantly bowed before them. Legolas hadn’t realized it until that moment, but he was actually quite nervous. He was used to his father being the center of attention, and was happy to go largely unnoticed. 

“Don’t worry, my Prince. You’ll be fine.” 

Ever since he was a little elfling, Legolas had been sure that Galion was a mind reader; and Galion, for his part, had never done or said anything to disabuse him of that notion.

“Thank you for the words of encouragement. But I would like to ask a favor of you. Don’t leave me alone out there.”

“I’d never dream of it, my Prince” said Galion, with smile and a reassuring earnestness.

With that, Galion motioned to the footmen to open the doors and stepped into the hall. Legolas waited for a few moments, to allow Galion to announce his arrival, before walking in and taking his seat at the head table.


End file.
